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Pearson races to podium finish in Silver Dollar Nationals

After a slow start to his extended week of racing in Nebraska, Earl Pearson Jr. rallied from the 14th-starting position to finish third in Saturday night’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Silver Dollar Nationals finale at I-80 Speedway. (Heath Lawson photo)

The hard-charging Pearson Jr. accomplished his feat aboard his trusty Lucas Oil No. 1 P&W Sales/ Drive4Etch.com/ Clements Racing Engine/ Black Diamond Chassis House Car.

“The first two nights we had a new car out and it just didn’t like this racetrack or the tires, so we took Old Faithful out,” Pearson said after Saturday night’s finale. “Last night was pretty good and tonight we made some more adjustments and we hot-lapped good, and in the feature, we could go in the corners there and just turn below ‘em and stick the right-rear and I had good traction.

“Late in the race there we got a little tight and couldn’t move around quite as good, but all in all, the way this year’s been … it’s been tough, but hopefully we can continue on from this.”

Black Diamond Race Cars and Earl Pearson Jr. rolled into I-80 Speedway (Greenwood, Neb.) on Tuesday afternoon to kick off five consecutive nights of racing with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS). Drawing 43 cars for the I-80 Nationals prelim, Earl’s sixth-place finish in his heat race relegated him into the B-Main. Needing to place third or better to make the show, Pearson Jr. finished fifth.

For another $7,000-to-win preliminary feature on Wednesday, Pearson came in eighth in his heat before placing fifth in his B-Main, ending his night early.

On Wednesday night with preliminary results pinning him seventh on the grid for his B-Main, Earl edged his way into $30,000-to-win I-80 Nationals with the fourth-and final transfer spot. Rolling off 26th, Pearson Jr. gained one spot in the 53-lapper to finish 25th.

On Friday double heat races were on tap for the opening round of the 11th annual Imperial Tile Silver Dollar Nationals. Pearson Jr. followed up a fifth-place finish in his first heat with a second-place finish in the second heat.

Locked into the 14th-starting position for Saturday night’s $53,000-to-win Silver Dollar Nationals, Earl progressively worked his way through the pack. He stole third from Chase Junghans on lap 72 and held the podium spot for the final eight circuits to finish third. He followed Kyle Bronson and Tim McCreadie across the line with Jimmy Owens and Junghans completing the Top-5 finishers. Pearson Jr. earned $14,800 for his best career finish in the 11th annual event.

Earl remains in 11th in the latest Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series point standings.

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